At LifeSite we read interesting remarks by Bp. Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan. Bp. Schneider made an interesting comparison. about a conference held in Rome. Present were the two of the Four Cardinals (Burke, Brandmüller) who submitted the Five Dubia and Bp. Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan. Bp. Schneider made an interesting comparison.

Bishop Schneider likens treatment of four Cardinals to Soviet regime: ‘We live in a climate of threats’

Regarding the dubia [The Five Dubia] published by the four Cardinals, [The Four Cardinals] he told LifeSiteNews in an exclusive interview today that the Church should always foster a “culture of dialogue.”

“The formulation of dubia, as the Cardinals here have expressed in their own terms, has been a common practice in the Church,” he explained. “We need to be able to ask questions openly without being afraid of repressions.”

Bishop Schneider referred to the numerous attacks that the four Princes of the Church have suffered after their dubia was published. The questions still remain unanswered by Pope Francis.

“The reaction to the dubia is a proof of the climate in which we actually live in the Church right now,” Bishop Schneider said. “We live in a climate of threats and of denial of dialogue towards a specific group.”

Schneider went to say that “dialogue seems to be accepted only if you think like everyone else – that is practically like a regime.”

Schneider brought up his experience in Russia, where he was born in the time of the Soviet Union. His parents were sent by Stalin to work camps, or “Gulags,” after the Second World War. “If you didn’t follow the line of the party, or you questioned it, you couldn’t even ask. That is for me a very clear parallel to what is happening now in the reactions to the dubia — questions — of the Cardinals.”

“This is a very sad experience especially since everybody is speaking about a ‘dialogue of culture’after the Second Vatican Council. While bishops openly teach heresies and nothing happens to them, that is truly a grave injustice and very sad,” Bishop Schneider added.

“If the Pope does not answer, the next step will be recourse to prayer, to supernatural means,” Schneider said, “to pray for the enlightenment of the Pope and that he will gain courage.”

Go here to read the comments. Persecution for the sake of Christ is nothing new for faithful Catholics. That the persecutors are within the Church is disheartening.

7 Comments

The Red Luther statue given to Francis might be too close to pontiff’s bed.

Interesting article.
Maybe the lack of the Pope’s response is due in part to the team he has summoned to council him. My guess. If he is truly adoring Jesus and daily listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit his Holiness wouldn’t need so much time to respond.

I think the confusion and ambiguity of this pontificate is a feature, not a bug.
When the Church’s teaching is made less clear, it’s easier to unhitch praxis
from doctrine but still give lip service to the law. We saw that happen with
the documents of Vatican II– ambiguities in those documents were exploited
by people who wanted to change the Church’s practice, and they were able
to do so without violating the letter of the documents, even if they violated
the documents intentions. Ambiguity creates cover for doing as one wishes.
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Why should Francis clear up the lio he’s created when it serves his purpose?
The effect of the ambiguities in AL is having the effect he desires on the Church’s
practice, and it can continue to be used to justify those changes only as long as
clarity is kept at bay. Logic and clarity and consistency would only tie Francis’
hands and keep him from doing what he pleases. He’s been very clear about his
contempt for people who respect Church law. That might be the only thing in
his pontificate he’s bothered to make absolutely clear…

Clinton summed up the reason for the stunning failure of Pope Francis to provide answers to the ‘dubia’. The devil lives in shadows, in uncertainty and in ambiguity. Pope Francis is being counseled by an evil spirit, not the Holy Spirit. Let us pray for him while not listening to his double talk.

Praying for the Pope and for his conversion is a holy act of mercy. A good Christmas gift for the entire Holy Catholic Church. Who would of thunk it? 2016 ends with the absurdities of absurdities. Trump/Clinton, Cub’s win, Transgender Bathroom politics, A Muslim Lame Duck…..you get the idea.